Brotherly Chat
by Archived-AndInactive
Summary: "So we're talking about this Karofsky thing.  Right now."


_"Whoo! That brings me back to my public school days." Blaine laughed, ever amiable even after getting popped in the jaw. He stood up slowly, rubbing his chin and yawning several times to loosen the bruised muscles._

_Kurt buried his face in his hands. "I'm so sorry!" He moaned. "I didn't mean to drag you into this. It seems like the harder I try to force him out of my life, the more people end up hurt."_

"_Hey, don't worry about it." The curly-haired man smiled, patting Kurt on the shoulder. "He's just a douchebag. And he'd be a douchebag regardless of your existence."_

…

Kurt sighed and flopped back on the couch, memories of earlier that afternoon still fresh in his mind. Well, that was the last time _he_ would attend a McKinley sporting event, no matter how badly the guys wanted him to come see them play.

_Ah, who am I kidding,_ he mused. _I'm sure I'll be at the very next game._

He was startled out of his brooding when Finn entered the room, soda in hand, looking at Kurt with unmasked concern in his eyes.

"I wanna talk to you." The jock said abruptly. Kurt was a little surprised at the bluntness. But then again, what else was there to expect from Finn Hudson? "I need to know the whole story. I mean, I've been thinking about it since you and Blaine ran into him today, and like, you were there for me during that whole Quinn baby thing, so I feel like I should be there for you now. So we're talking about this Karofsky thing. Right now." He concluded with finality.

"My my, aren't you being forceful today," Kurt mused, looking out the window.

"Don't change the subject!" Finn shot back.

_Damn._ The smaller boy winced. _For someone so simple, he's awfully hard to manipulate._

They engaged in a brief staring contest before Kurt gave in with a sigh. He figured Finn had a point; he at least owed him the truth.

"All right, sit down." He grumbled.

Finn did a mini victory-dance before joining his step-brother on the couch and looking at him expectantly.

"I guess, it's just… you have to realize what it's like for me. To go through every moment of every day knowing that there are always people who think you deserve to die just for existing, all around you. In every classroom, grocery store, mall, even at Dalton I suppose. It, it gets hard sometimes, I guess. At least at Dalton I know that nobody will ever act on or even speak about it."

"I never really thought about it that way before." Finn admitted. "I always thought you were just this… invincible rock of courage. I dunno. You never took crap from anybody, no matter what the bullies did. Maybe that's why it was so hard to see you break."

Kurt swallowed and stared at his hands, gripping tightly to his thighs. "I just kept thinking, _nobody should have to go through this._ Maybe that's why I'd shove my self-expression under everyone's nose. Just to show the kids who were too afraid to be themselves that you don't have to hide. To give them some courage."

"Yeah well, you kinda destroyed that when you ran off to gaytopia." Finn snapped, more harshly than he'd meant to.

Kurt ignored the outburst, partially because it stung more than he'd like to admit. "I wanted to help the people struggling with themselves. Because there are so many people living with this same terror, and it's just terrible. People force themselves to hide who they truly are, to fight themselves, and in doing that, they sometimes go about hurting the ones who maybe are still figuring things out as it is. They project their hatred of themselves onto others and try to destroy it. Sometimes the worst bullies of all are just scared little kids inside, afraid to admit that they only pick on the gay kid because he represents everything inside themselves that they can't come to terms with and are in denial of, until one day they can't take it anymore and it just explodes in their face!"

The room was silent for a few seconds, save for the sound of Kurt panting – winded after his outburst – as the words were left to hang in the air.

"So, just a shot in the dark here, you're talking about someone specific now, right?"

Kurt nodded hastily as his breathing slowly returned to normal.

Finn sat in silence a few moments longer before the lightbulb went off. He nearly leapt off the couch at the realization.

"Karofsky's _gay?_"

Kurt just nodded again, unsure of what to say.

"But like… I always heard that people had to decide for themselves whether they were gay or not. Couldn't he just… not be gay?"

Kurt about punched him in the nose.

Instead, he restrained himself and answered calmly. "No, Finn. Sexuality isn't something you choose. You are what you are. Think about it; you can't decide what kind of person you fall in love with. If you could, stories like Romeo and Juliet wouldn't exist."

"But, Romeo and Juliet were straight."

Kurt rubbed his temples slowly. "Never mind. But, in short, _no._ It's not a choice."

"So, Dave Karofsky is gay. Against his will. Right." Finn attempted to wrap his mind around the fact.

"Right. But don't tell him you know, or he'll kill me."

"Oh, that's the other question. How did you find out?"

Kurt so _did not _want to go there, but he figured he ought to just tell Finn and get it over with, or he'd never hear the end of it.

"I tried to confront him and tell him to back off, and he… eh, well, he kissed me."

"Gross!" Was the immediate response. "I mean like, yeah. Gross."

"It was very gross, yes. Traumatizing, in fact." Kurt answered. "And then of course, the stalking began. Followed by the creepy flirting-with-sexual-undertones. By the time the death threat came around I'd had enough. And that's the story of why I left McKinley." Kurt finished hastily, wanting this conversation to be over so, so badly.

Finn paused for a moment, soaking in the rather abrupt ending. Finally he turned to Kurt and stated simply, "Okay, but I have one more question."

"Shoot."

"Did he use tongue?"

"_FINN!"_


End file.
